THE SAN AGUSTIN CATHEDRAL

The San Agustin Cathedral is home to the Archdiocease of Cagayan de Oro. It stands beside the nice and wide Gaston Park. Too bad the fountain wasn't on when I visited it although they do put it on on weekends.

Gaston Park. That thing in the foreground, a Cagayan invention, is called "Motorela", or "rela" for short. It provides access to the city's many inner streets where jeepneys don't pass. Basic fare is Php 5!

The Arzobispado's convento

Now for a quick look at history. In 1626, a 26-year old Augustinian Recollect friar arrived in Cagayan. His name was Fray Agustin de San Pedro, a Portuguese. Before his priesthood, he studied mathematics, architecture, gunnery, and military strategy at the University of Salamanca. Fray Agustin persuaded the leader of Himologan, Datu Salangsang, to transfer his settlement down river, to the area of today's Gaston Park and San Agustin Cathedral. Here, Fray Agustin built a church of native materials. Inside, he baptized Datu Salangsang and his wife, and later his people. Be informed that early settlers in Cagayan were not Muslims, but were polytheisitc animists although they paid tribute to Sultan Muhammad Dipatuan Kudarat, more known as Sultan Kudarat, who reigned from 1623 to 1671.

Fortification of Cagayan

In response to the conversion, Sultan Kudarat sent a fleet of warriors to drive away the Spanish missionaries and to regain the lost tributes. Kudarat's attacks prompted Fray Agustin to build a wooden fortress and watchtower in Cagayan to protect Salangsang's people. He called the fortress Fuerza Real de San Jose, and it occupied an area now filled with Gaston Park and San Agustin Cathedral. Fray Agustin's defense of Cagayan earned him the title "El Padre Capitan".The fortress was rebuilt with stones in 1730. But Lt. Col. Jose Carvallo, the Spanish politico-military governor of Misamis, demolished it in 1875 and used the stones to pave the streets of the town.

Church Construction







The Recoletos made Cagayan their mission center in 1674. But only on August 28, 1780 did they declare San Agustin the patron saint of Cagayan.In 1845, Fray Simon Loscos de Santa Catalina reconstructed the church, using marine stones from China. It had protruding buttresses and a single belfry. Inside were a magnificent altar and sanctuary with carved wooden niches and paintings. This church was destroyed during the Japanese bombing of Cagayan in 1945, exactly a hundred years later.In 1888, the Recoletos erected a wooden cross -- "Santa Cruz" -- outside the San Agustin Church. This, however, still stands today.






On June 29, 1951, Pope Pius XII created the first Catholic archbishopric in Mindanao, when he elevated the Diocese of Cagayan into an archdiocese.

Students of HRM try out their bartending skills at the Gaston Park


Chess is a well-loved game in this city. Whenever you see a group of men huddled together in any alley or open space like this one at Gaston Park, the activity would most likely be a game of chess or, as the case in the 2nd photo, dama.

Source: Antonio J. Montalvan II. Mr Montalvan is a Mindanao anthropologist, ethnohistorian and a Ford Foundation scholar for the doctorate in anthropology on Mindanao Studies with the Mindanao Anthropology Consortium. He has written articles about Mindanao history and culture in academic journals, and contributes a monthly column to the Philippine Daily Inquirer. He is the author of "A Cagayan de Oro Ethnohistory Reader", which was launched on March 8, 2004. Montalvan is also the vice-president of the Heritage Conservation Advocates.

As of March 4, 2006, my former Arts & Sciences Dean, Fr. Antonio Ledesma SJ, is the newly-appointed Archbishop of Cagayan de Oro. We offer our warmest congratulations and prayers for his success and continued health.

XAVIER UNIVERSITY, Part 1 (s. 2006)

The de regiueur statue of St Ignatius, here kneeling infront of the old Lucas Hall building. The Hall still sports the old logo the Ateneo de Cagayan

Welcome to my alma mater! I graduated from this university in 1996 after 3.5 years of studying Biology. It was established in 1933 as a high school named Ateneo de Cagayan by Jesuit missionary Fr. James T.G. Hayes S.J., who later became the first bishop/archbishop of Cagayan de Oro. A college department was added in 1938, with course offerings in liberal arts, education and commerce. The Grade School was started in 1940. Ateneo de Cagayan had 614 students when it was forced to close during World War II.

Fr. Edward J. Haggerty S.J., school Rector, who served as a military chaplain during the war years and as Military Vicar for the U.S. Armed Forces from Borneo to Okinawa, wrote in his diary: Iin fifteen minutes, the American liberator bombers destroyed our labor of 15 years." It reopened a few years after the war.

In March of 1958, the Ateneo de Cagayan received university status and its present name, Xavier University, in honor of St. Francis Xavier, the Jesuit missionary to the Indies and companion of St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus.

XU, as we fondly call it, is the first Ateneo to become a University. Ateneo de Manila gained its status a year after during its centennary.

When asked about the change in name, Fr. Francisco Araneta S.J., Rector explained that the change of name "merely crystallized an old spirit that always had been the soul of all Ateneos, the spirit of learning and service, the spirit of purposeful scholarship."


Just one of the many stained glass windows put up during the tenure of Fr Antonio Samson, SJ. This one shows a Filipino-style Pentecost

Detail: immediate past president, Fr Samson, finds himself immortalized in his own project, here shown holding a building - a tribute to his being a builder-president. I was president of the Student Government during his time. He has now been re-assigned to Ateneo de Davao. See you again soon, Fr Ting!

The University Chapel. Inscription means "Thou art all fair, Mary."

The imposing Immortals of Science facade of the 5-storey Science Center

Ground floor of the Science Center, home to laboratories, the faculty office and a lecture hall at the far end

The new library building across the Science Center

XAVIER UNIVERSITY, Part 2 (s. 2006)

Detail of the chapel's gate

Chapel interior and altar. The lamps beneath the column chandeliers are a fairly-new addition

The university driveway as seen from the chapel entrance

San Francisco Javier

The Science Center building - home to me for 3.5 years

Inside the lobby

Preserved insects and a whale bone in the lobby

I miss this place...

The chapel and the old library as seen from the Science Center

DIES CINERUM, 2006

Today, the whole Christendom troops to churches everywhere to receive the mark of ashes on their foreheads. It is said that the ashes are made out of burned dried palm leaves like this one hanging on our front door.

It is a tradition among (Filipino) Catholics to bring home these palms, blessed during the day commemorating Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, and keep them tucked in windows or tacked onto the door.

It will be replaced again this year by a fresh leaf.

QUO VADIS, EDSA?

Today we commemorate the 20th anniversary of People Power 1.

I was in elementary school when this mass gathering to oust a dicator happened. A few years after back in High School (Don Bosco Pampanga), we gathered donations to help build the Shrine to our Lady, Queen of Peace which stands on Ortigas cor. EDSA.

I do not want to make a comment on whether we really did make anything out of EDSA or if we simply squandered the opportunities it gave us to renew ourselves as a people and as a nation. All I can say is that the spirit of EDSA must live on in each one of us. The resulting urge to take action must now rise from individual efforts even if it is becoming obvious that a community action is next to impossible.

To our Lady, this is our prayer: May we never see the need to gather on EDSA ever again.

A study of our Lady's hand, with a dove

A rendition of Our Lady, Queen of Peace with her distinct Asian features. The sculptor, Virginia Ty-Navarro, was rumored to have died deeply sad and disappointed because of supposedly widespread criticisms against portraying our Lady in such a disproportionate manner - short body, flat faced, with oversized hands. The mestiza Mary remains to be a "choice" among devotees.

Bells from Holland crafted out of melted bullets and canons from WWII; inscribed with the names of President Corazon Aquino, and of the late Jaime Cardinal Sin and Pope John Paul II

The weight - responsibility - of maintaining a hard-won democracy continues to be borne by 80 million Filipinos

Special thanks to Stephen Borja for accompanying me on this visit to the Shrine.

GRRRR...

Was on my way home to Las Piñas on a particularly humid day. As usual, the Coastal expressway was full of vehicles trying to get into Cavite. No problem. That's how it really is in that area for several years now. But do they really have to block Las Piñas-bound vehicles like what this bus did? The road ahead to Las Piñas is wide and clear but we couldn't get through thanks to this Erjohn bus. Note the two cars trying to squeeze through beside it. Remind me not to take their buses next time.

FAIR RATE?

How much was your recent cab fare?

A DAY ON THE PURPLE LINE

Was travelling to Antipolo on the LRT 2 when I fancied using my new Nokia 3230's 1.35 megapixel camera. Since cameras are not allowed inside all train systems in the Metro, maybe there are some things a phone camera can capture that a normal camera cannot. Here's what we got.

Going up the Santolan Station


Why is her name spelled completely compared to, say, Legarda or Recto's? *peace sign*

The sleek interiors of the Purple Line, a project made possible through Japan's JICA

Recto Station at night

Kapit, kapit...kapit!

Manila whizzes past below

The yellow sign says, "Do not lean on door."



Can't wait to be home....

Coping mechanisms: Two students find ways of surviving a ride home.


End of the line!

KANYAMAN NA! (IT'S DELICIOUS!)

From Pampanga, with love

From Pampanga comes another long-time secret now being offered to Manila residents. Found only in Robinson's Malls, RAZON'S - established in Guagua, where my father hails from - can be had for only Ps 60 (expensive in these hard times).

While most people would normally look for a halo-halo (literally "mix-mix", referring to the way one puts together several of the ingredients and mixing them together) which is overflowing with ube (yam), sago (round gelatin-like substance), caramelized banana, finely-crushed iced, evaporated milk, langka (jackfruit), and topped with a scoop or two of ice cream and dried pinipig, one might be disappointed with Razon's seemingly blah offering: macapuno (sweet, young coconut shavings), sweetened banana, crushed ice, evaoporated milk and leche flan. That's it?

But man, this is one mean concoction. Mind blowing enough that you might find yourself ordering one more! Pair this with pansit luglog (Pampanga's better version of the Tagalog's pansit palabok), white puto, or cheesy ensaymada.

Kanyaman na pu talaga! Mangan ta na queng Razon's! Mikit mikit ta na karin!

LAST FLIGHT

Source: Mars Ravelo's Official Website


Rosa del Rosario, Philippine actress. The first to portray the Mars Ravelo character Darna in 1951, she took her last flight last Sunday. She was 88.

Thanks to Barnard Miranda of Mowelfund for the information.

WHOAH!

My blog is worth $3,951.78.
How much is your blog worth?

RETURNING TO THE BLOGSPHERE

Recent photos I took of myself, the common desk at the mango farm, and an artsy-fartsy take on aluminum chairs against the red floor. I hope everyone's having a great month so far!